DNA EXCLUSIVE | Niti Aayog, 2 ministries split over ways to distribute food

Sharp differences have emerged between top government think-tank Niti Aayog and two Central Ministries over the crucial challenge of how to ensure quality nutrition to lakhs of malnourished women and children in India. This is amid an intervention by the PMO to bring these bodies on the same page.

A meeting had to be cancelled last week following differences over pushing packaged meals instead of hot-cooked meals — an idea the Niti Aayog mooted but did not find much favour with official of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) as well as the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

This came after an initial working committee meeting of the National Technical Board of Nutrition (NTBN), constituted in December 2017, reconstituted after the PMO's intervention following differences on giving out cash to beneficiaries in lieu of food nutrition. The Health Ministry is also part of the Board.

The idea of packaged meals was mooted under the Supplementary Nutrition Programme, and the meeting was to discuss revision of SNP guidelines. Currently, under SNP, one of the services under the umbrella Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme, hot-cooked meals such as dalia and khichdi, besides take-home rations, are provided to children between six months and six years, besides pregnant and lactating mothers.

The Board has, as members, secretaries of WCD, Health, Biotechnology, Food and Public Distribution, Drinking Water and Sanitation, apart from those from the Niti Aayog.

Think-tank member Vinod Paul is the chairperson.

WCD Ministry officials contended that as per the National Food Safety Act (NFSA), home-cooked food must be provided to beneficiaries. And to bring any change in the matter, an amendment in the Act must be made to avoid any violation of the law.

WCD Ministry officials took a differing stand also over procurement of nutrition materials. The Niti Aayog's view is that procurements must be centralised, but this also means self-help groups will no longer be engaged, another violation of the Act. DNA has also learnt that Health Ministry officials, too, were in agreement with the WCD Ministry over the matter.

The idea of packaged food in lieu of hot-cooked meals distributed in anganwadis — rural mother and child care centres — has cropped up time and again. WCD Minister Maneka Gandhi initially favoured the idea, but has changed her mind now. The possibility of multinational corporations entering into the nutritional food market has made WCD Ministry officials wary, DNA has learnt.

Differences over the idea of cash transfers were reported by DNA. The matter reached the PMO, following which the technical board of nutrition was formed. In fact, RSS-affiliated economic body Swadeshi Jagran Manch even attacked the Niti Aayog for pushing packed dietary supplements for malnourished children, going as far as to seek PM Narendra Modi's intervention in November for supplying fresh, home-cooked meals.